Beginning
by Gyene
Summary: In order to have an ending you need to know where you began.
1. Long ago

Hi and welcome to my first story. Please, read and review. I am trying to write this as best as I can but it is easier when I have feedback and review. This story is completely original. The characters, places, and names belong to those of the creators of Square-Enix and Final Fantasy X/X-2 except those that I have given names to. Thank you for your input and time.

--G

* * *

"_Keep him here, Cid. Raise him as your own." _

"_I'm not takin' care of your brat! I already have a kid of my --"_

"_Where I'm going, he can't come. It's too dangerous." The man cut him off. Cid paused, contemplating. He was right. Hell, he was always right. The man was only three years his junior and already he was ten years ahead of him. Cid sigh looking down at the child. His face smiling at him, eyes twinkling. _

"_What of the other?" He asked. _

"_Coming with me." He answered matter-of-factly. _

"_So it's too dangerous to take this one but not the other? How is that?" Cid sneered. How could he choose one over the other? _

"_She'll stay at Bevelle and train with the warriors. He'll stay with you and be your protégé." He explained to Cid. Whether he liked it didn't matter._

"_Do you plan on visiting them? Being their dad?" It was more out of curiosity. Al-Bhed curiosity, he corrected._

"_No; I don't. Easier that way." Cid glared at him. He couldn't look at him, couldn't face him. Not when he looked like that. But he had to. He had to. There was no way around it. After several minutes Cid nodded in understanding. He knew he didn't approve. Never would. It was just like Cid to be that way. Understand but never approve. He was like that with Braska and Loli. The younger man sighed. He would have to take it. "Cid . . . . Thank you." He said before he disappeared for what he assumed would be forever. _


	2. Need to Know

Gippal cursed as he dropped the screwdriver on the ground for the fifth time. It made a tinny clang echoing through the hollow temple halls. He cursed madly at the small machina. He was _never_ clumsy, especially with machina. Unless he was preoccupied, which he was. That was the only reason why he was up at this Yevon forsaken hour hunched over with only a sliver of moonlight fixing the small machina that -- in the whole scheme of things -- meant nothing. He ran his arm across his sweaty forehead, flipped the faceplate off and began the mind numbing process of disconnecting and reconnecting the wires. His nimble fingers darted around in the same mechanical fashion it had done since he was three. With the wires connected, he replaced the faceplate and flipped the switch. A small rumble and then -- like magic -- whirled around, lights blazing, roared to life. He was about to pat himself on the back for a job well done when it suddenly died. Gippal threw the screwdriver against the cold stonewall. In the morning he would worry about it, but not now. Not when he couldn't concentrate. He walked towards his room. By memory, he found the comsphere on his desk in the pitch-black bedroom. He scrolled through the list of contacts until he found the one he wanted. He mashed the dial button waiting for it to connect. It didn't take long for a response.

"This better be good." Cid growled, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "I have a matter to deal with in three hours."

"Can you cancel?" He asked. Cid glared at him.

"What for, boy?"

"It's important."

"What's more important than a meeting?!" He boomed, crossing his arms across his chest. He was amused at toying with him.

"My dad. . . ." Cid could barely hear him whisper it.

"Boy, I told you I dunno anything 'bout that!" He practically chuckled. That was the last straw. In one quick motion he ripped the eye patch off and slammed it down on the table.

"Apparently you do." Gippal snapped revealing what the patch had hid for all those years. Cid didn't need to look; he knew the scarlet-color eye by heart now.

"How long will it take for you to get here?" Cid asked.

"Two hours."

"Talk to you then." That was his final response before switching the comsphere off.


End file.
